Pacific leaders oppose missile testing in region, says Waqa

Pacific leaders oppose any form of missile testing in the Pacific, not just by China, says Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Baron Waqa.

Mr Waqa’s comments follow extensive debate at the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (FFMM) in Suva earlier this month over China’s July missile test in the Pacific. No consensus was reached and no statement was issued by the forum.

China launched a ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean just hours after Fiji and Australia signed a new defence treaty committing them to assist each other in the event of an armed attack on either country in the Pacific.

During the FFMM, Kiribati and the Republic of Nauru opposed a regional statement on the missile test, while Fiji backed New Zealand’s call for a united regional position as geopolitical tensions in the region continue to rise.

The forum has continuously stressed regional unity and consensus, even as its members maintain different diplomatic relationships and positions on security and international affairs.

“Anything to do with missile testing in our region is of concern to our leaders. How we approach this and where we place ourselves in making a statement all depends on sovereign positions,” Mr Waqa said.

“We all want to make a strong statement to everyone, not just China. But this meeting is for leaders and they will determine that their conversation will bring something that I bring, something out that everyone is comfortable with.”